https://www.scmp.com/rss/525665/feed The Tiangong space station is China’s laboratory located in low Earth orbit. Operated by the China Manned Space Agency, it hosts many of the country’s scientific experiments, including space technology. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ling Xin Ling Xin China has confirmed plans to expand its space station, potentially more than doubling in size to meet growing scientific demand and expand international cooperation. The Tiangong and the International Space Station (ISS) are the only space stations operating in low Earth orbit. The ISS, led by Nasa and built with contributions from 15 countries, is the biggest structure in space and has been a laboratory for more than 3,000 experiments. Nasa plans to retire the ISS in early 2031, using a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352049/chinas-tiangong-space-station-double-size-nasa-phases-out-iss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3352049/chinas-tiangong-space-station-double-size-nasa-phases-out-iss?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China has named the two Pakistani astronauts selected to train for a mission to its space station this year. After undergoing assessments, one of the men would serve as a payload specialist on a space mission alongside the Chinese crew to become the first foreign astronaut to enter the Tiangong space station, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud will soon arrive in China for their training, according to the China Manned Space Agency. They were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351043/china-names-2-pakistani-astronauts-chosen-train-tiangong-space-station-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351043/china-names-2-pakistani-astronauts-chosen-train-tiangong-space-station-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:41:50 +0000 Young Post Young Post Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2) China’s Tiangong space station orbits our planet. It is not only a home for astronauts, but it is also a place for science experiments in space. For example, research in the life sciences helps us learn how living things survive in space. This knowledge can help us better understand life on Earth. Planarians: regrowing in space Planarians are flatworms that can regrow new body parts from cut sections (see graphic). The Shenzhou-20 crew brought them to... https://www.scmp.com/posties/kids/steam-studio/article/3335490/tiangong-space-station-advances-science-and-inspires-future-innovators?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/posties/kids/steam-studio/article/3335490/tiangong-space-station-advances-science-and-inspires-future-innovators?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 22:45:09 +0000 Young Post Young Post China’s Tiangong space station orbits our planet. It is not only a home for astronauts, but it is also a place for science experiments in space. For example, research in the life sciences helps us learn how living things survive in space. This knowledge can also help us better understand life on Earth. Let’s dive into some of these research projects on Tiangong. Zebrafish: space swimmers Zebrafish are tiny fish that grow and make babies quickly. Their small size makes them easy to bring on a... https://www.scmp.com/spark/trending/pets-and-animals/article/3334502/zebrafish-planarians-and-silkworms-chinas-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/spark/trending/pets-and-animals/article/3334502/zebrafish-planarians-and-silkworms-chinas-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 07:50:43 +0000 Young Post Young Post Orbiting our planet, China’s Tiangong space station serves not only as a home for astronauts but also as a space-based science laboratory. One fascinating area of study on Tiangong is in the life sciences. These experiments help researchers understand how living things survive in space. Let’s dive into a few examples of these projects. Zebrafish: the ultimate space swimmer Zebrafish are tiny fish with zebra-like stripes, and they grow and reproduce quickly. Scientists often use them in... https://www.scmp.com/yp/trending/pets-and-animals/article/3334478/record-setting-zebrafish-and-other-research-chinas-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/trending/pets-and-animals/article/3334478/record-setting-zebrafish-and-other-research-chinas-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 06:40:08 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China has sent a replacement return vessel to its space station, successfully completing the first emergency launch for its crewed space programme. The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft carrying 600kg (1,320lb) of goods, including food and equipment to fix the damaged spacecraft, was launched at 12.11pm on Tuesday and docked with the Tiangong space station less than four hours later. The vessel will replace the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft used to return three astronauts to Earth on November 14, leaving the new... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334033/china-sends-emergency-return-vehicle-tiangong-space-station-replace-damaged-craft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3334033/china-sends-emergency-return-vehicle-tiangong-space-station-replace-damaged-craft?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 04:36:41 +0000 Ling Xin,William Zheng Ling Xin,William Zheng China is making plans to bring home three astronauts whose return from the Tiangong space station was delayed after their vessel was hit by debris last week. Two people familiar with the crewed space programme said Shenzhou-22, originally built for the next crew rotation, was being prepared and stocked at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. The China Manned Space Engineering (CMSE) office said on Tuesday that “emergency plans and measures have been immediately activated in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3332295/china-preparing-bring-home-astronauts-stranded-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3332295/china-preparing-bring-home-astronauts-stranded-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 06:00:15 +0000 SCMP SCMP Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump calls criticism of move to admit thousands of Chinese students ‘insulting’ US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his proposal to admit hundreds of thousands of Chinese students, saying the US is “honoured” to host them and warning that the American college system would “go to hell” without them. 2. As the world watches PLA approach 100, is it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323392/trump-defends-china-student-move-tiangong-space-station-beats-iss-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3323392/trump-defends-china-student-move-tiangong-space-station-beats-iss-scmp-daily-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:15:07 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China’s Tiangong space station has set a new record in space-based materials research after a tungsten alloy was heated to temperatures exceeding 3,100 degrees Celsius (5,612 degrees Fahrenheit). That surpasses the highest temperatures previously achieved aboard the International Space Station (ISS). On the ISS’s Japanese module, Kibo, scientists used a similar method – known as electrostatic levitation – to suspend tiny metal samples in mid-air and heat them with lasers, reaching around 3,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323171/chinas-tiangong-beats-iss-heated-space-research-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3323171/chinas-tiangong-beats-iss-heated-space-research-race?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China has sent a living “mini-brain” – a chip the size of a credit card containing human brain cells and blood vessels – to its Tiangong space station to find out how space messes with the mind. Researchers aboard the International Space Station have previously used brain cell cultures and early-stage brain organoids to study ageing and disorders such as Alzheimer’s. But China’s experiment appears to be the first time a highly integrated brain chip featuring blood-brain barrier functions has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318590/how-does-space-affect-mind-china-sends-mini-brain-tiangong-find-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318590/how-does-space-affect-mind-china-sends-mini-brain-tiangong-find-out?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:00:10 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China’s Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft is ready for launch to resupply the Tiangong Space Station, according to state news agency Xinhua on Saturday. The cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y10 carrier rocket had been transported to the launch pad at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the southern island province of Hainan, Xinhua reported, citing the China Manned Space Agency. “The cargo spacecraft will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time,” the space agency said. It said... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3317990/chinas-tianzhou-9-cargo-craft-set-tiangong-space-station-resupply-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3317990/chinas-tianzhou-9-cargo-craft-set-tiangong-space-station-resupply-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 11:00:40 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China is developing a rapid-response space defence system to intercept suspicious spacecraft and push them away, according to a senior scientist. If an unidentified object approaches China’s Tiangong space station or other critical space infrastructure, a small robotic thruster could be deployed to latch onto the intruder and push it to a safer distance, said Sun Zhibin of the National Space Science Centre in Beijing. “Sometimes another spacecraft may deliberately come close – maybe just to take... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3312063/china-plans-arm-tiangong-space-station-self-defence-bots-scientist-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3312063/china-plans-arm-tiangong-space-station-self-defence-bots-scientist-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 22:00:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have put together stories from our coverage on science from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China’s PL-15E missiles named in Indian jet shootdown made by robots: experts China’s state broadcaster has re-released footage from last year of a cutting-edge robotic production line for its advanced PL-15E air-to-air missiles, hours after Pakistan claimed that it used the Chinese-made weapon to shoot down... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3311057/chinas-robot-made-missiles-new-bacteria-strain-found-tiangong-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3311057/chinas-robot-made-missiles-new-bacteria-strain-found-tiangong-7-science-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 04:34:07 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Chinese scientists have discovered a new microbe that developed on board the county’s Tiangong space station, according to a new study. The strain, officially named niallia tiangongensis, is a new variant of a previously known terrestrial bacteria and was found on a cabin in the space station. The discovery was announced by researchers from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Systematic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3310769/new-strain-bacteria-found-chinas-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3310769/new-strain-bacteria-found-chinas-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2025 14:00:07 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin The first foreign astronaut to visit China’s Tiangong space station will be from Pakistan, the two countries’ space authorities have said. China would assist Pakistan in selecting and training astronauts and the chosen candidates would then travel to China for further training, the China Manned Space Agency said on Friday after the signing of a cooperation agreement in Islamabad. Later, one or more of them will join a Chinese crew for a short-term mission aboard the Tiangong. “Since the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3300718/chinas-tiangong-space-station-will-host-pakistani-astronaut-first-foreign-visitor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3300718/chinas-tiangong-space-station-will-host-pakistani-astronaut-first-foreign-visitor?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2025 06:01:48 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela China has carried out its first in-orbit test of an inspection robot on board its Tiangong space station. The test, designed to check that the robot could be used effectively to maintain pipes and operate safely, was carried out last month, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The Shenzhou-19 crew currently stationed on board the space station put it through its paces in a simulated network of complex piping. The agency said: “During the test, the robot smoothly and reliably passed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299700/china-tests-robot-board-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3299700/china-tests-robot-board-tiangong-space-station?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:22:07 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin A series of experiments on board China’s space station have for the first time produced oxygen and the ingredients for rocket fuel – key steps that are considered essential for human survival and the future exploration of space. The Shenzhou-19 crew aboard the Tiangong space station successfully conducted the world’s first in-orbit demonstration of artificial photosynthesis technology, producing oxygen, as well as the ingredients necessary for rocket fuel, paving the way for long-term space... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3295452/chinas-tiangong-research-generates-oxygen-rocket-fuel-major-space-exploration-leap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3295452/chinas-tiangong-research-generates-oxygen-rocket-fuel-major-space-exploration-leap?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2025 08:00:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen China aims to break space technology choke points with thousands of experiments on the Tiangong space station over the next decade or so as it expands its crewed exploration programme. The China Manned Space Agency outlined the target on Monday in its first performance review of the Tiangong, adding that 181 experiments and application projects had been conducted, and nearly 2 tonnes of scientific materials delivered, as of December 1. “We aim to achieve major breakthroughs in important areas... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3292844/chinas-tiangong-space-station-research-aims-break-technology-choke-points?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3292844/chinas-tiangong-space-station-research-aims-break-technology-choke-points?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2024 06:00:13 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Two Shenzhou-18 astronauts completed a spacewalk on Wednesday night to fortify China’s space station with extra armour following the explosion of a Russian satellite that generated a burst of space debris last week. “The spacewalk primarily focused on installing protective devices on external cables and pipelines to mitigate risks posed by potential space debris collisions, enhancing the long-term safety and stability of the space station,” said Liu Ming, of the China Aerospace Science and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269186/china-fortifies-tiangong-space-station-after-russian-satellite-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3269186/china-fortifies-tiangong-space-station-after-russian-satellite-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2024 11:00:19 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin Two Shenzhou-18 astronauts on board China’s Tiangong space station set a new spacewalking record for the country on Tuesday. During their 8½-hour extravehicular activity (EVA), mission commander Ye Guangfu and crew member Li Guangsu finished installing space debris protection devices and inspected equipment and facilities outside Tiangong, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The spacewalk broke previous records of about eight hours set by Shenzhou-16 and Shenzhou-17 astronauts,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3264510/chinese-astronauts-complete-record-breaking-spacewalk-protect-tiangong-space-station-debris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3264510/chinese-astronauts-complete-record-breaking-spacewalk-protect-tiangong-space-station-debris?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2024 06:00:19 +0000